Circadian rhythms can be behavioral, mental, of physical changes that occur at about a 24-hour cycle and respond to a stimulus in the environment. Much of the time it is the lightness and darkness of an environment that triggers parts of a circadian rhythm. Because of this, daylight savings may have some effect on our circadian rhythm, requiring us to get used to the daylight shortage.
Scientists at Stanford University are taking a closer look at what all circadian rhythms can involve. Using Siberian hamsters, scientists were able to change circadian rhythms enough so that there was some sort of inhibition of memory. They have been able to identify the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythm and connect it to memory and learning. They have discovered that when this clock does not work, it creates memory loss.
Patients with memory loss diseases often complain about poor sleep and other symptoms that can be related back to problems with circadian rhythms. This experiment with hamsters, has made scientists create an even stronger connection between memory and the rhythms because they have been trying to treat memory disorders by fixing circadian clocks. What is interesting is that when the scientists removed this part of the brain, the hamsters memory seemed to return fully. Because of this, these scientists are hoping to create new therapies for people with diseases like Alzheimer's, etc.
I found this article interesting because there is no cure for memory disorders. The research being done nowadays seems promising and will hopefully lead to some sort of cure and either stop or decrease memory loss in patients with diseases like Alzheimer's. If more research is done on this experiment and the same results show, I believe that it could be a good way of restoring memory in humans. However, as with anything, there would probably be other side effects from disrupting circadian rhythms that would cause some trouble.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118110007.htm
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